Pre-Sale Giveaway - THE LAST OF THE FIREDRAKES by Farah Oomerbhoy

About The Book:

The Last of the Firedrakes By: Farah Oomerbhoy Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing Pub Date: August 15, 2015 Pages: 488 Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

A fantastic adventure story that will transport you to a dazzling world of myth and magic. 16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn’t seem so bad. Avalonia is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms—including killing anyone who stands in her way.  Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora’s arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dear. With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.

Pre-Sale / Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N | Apple | Kobo | Smashwords | Itasca Books | Goodreads

About The Author:

For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical, and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest. Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mumbai.  Farah's first novel, The Last of the Firedrakes, Book 1 of the Avalonia Chronicles will be published worldwide August 15th, 2015.

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Pre-Sale Giveaway:

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Firedrake Facebook Party:

Don't miss the 2-day Facebook Party to celebrate the release of THE LAST OF THE FIREDRAKES, featuring several guest authors, lots of prizes and even a few secrets. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1005203076178206/

August 14th and August 15th 10am - 8pm Eastern Time.

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Blog Tour: THE OBSIDIAN MASK by Caroline Ludovici - Author Interview + Giveaway

About The Book:

An exciting desert adventure, where Natasha and her brother, are kidnapped with two Italian teens, for a priceless Mesopotamian artifact unearthed by their archaeologist parents from an ancient Warrior-Queen’s tomb.

Natasha and Alex imagined their long awaited trip from London to visit their archaeologist mother's excavation would be amazing. After all, the team was uncovering the tomb of an ancient Mesopotamian Warrior Queen and her fascinating, precious possessions. But almost immediately upon their arrival in Medinabad, they are ambushed at gunpoint en-route to the camp, and the shaken children doubt things could get any worse.

But they are wrong.

Reluctantly thrown together with two Italian teens visiting their father at the dig, the four embark on a thrilling desert adventure that will tie them together... in more ways than one.

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Infinity Publishing |IndieBound|Goodreads

Follow The Tour:

August 10^th – Lady Reader's Bookstuff – Launch post w/teasers

August 11^th – Pixie Vixen Book Reviews  – Q&A 

August 12^th – Reads All The Books – Review

August 13^th – Anything But Vanilla Book Blog – Author Interview

August 14^th – An Unconventional Librarian – Review

August 14^th – Heather Ann's Book Reviews – Review

August 17^th – Cabin Goddess – Review & Recipe

August 17^th – Chosen One – Review

August 18^th – Anything But Vanilla Book Blog – Promo / Guest Post

August 18^th – Books and Bling – Author Interview

August 19^th – BAPS Book Blog – Review

August 20^th – My Reading Reality – Author Interview

August 21^st – The Power of Three Readers – Review / Promo

August 21^st – Triple A – Review / Guest Post 

The Book Trailer:

Author Interview:

Top things on my bucket list

I have managed to do quite a few of my bucket list, but what I really need to do at some point, is 1- swim amongst the ancient ruins in the clear waters off the Turkish coast. 2-See a performance of Aida in an ancient Roman amphitheater, 3- See Victoria Falls.

What makes my novel stand out from the crowd?

The Obsidian Mask is down to earth, back to basics family adventure that is realistic, exciting and believable. The first of a series, The Obsidian Mask is set on a desert dig in Mesopotamia, where an international team of archaeologists are uncovering the ancient tomb of an ancient queen. Four young teens, two siblings from London and two from Italy meet while staying with their archaeologist parents at the dig, and the adventure begins... Not only exciting, the books are informative, interesting, intuitive, and very heart warming, with an underlying story of the joining of two the families.

What makes my book stand out? There’s nothing out there like it on the market. The sequel of The Obsidian Mask, Secrets of The River, are the teen adventures based in Italy, and the next step in the family story.

My most embarrassing moment

My most embarrassing moment was when I was about 20, I was working my way around New Zealand, picking ‘interesting’ jobs to pay my way. I was working for a shearing gang, as a roustabout, and later cook, for the shearing season, travelling around the North Island, as the gangs do, farm by farm, about a week (and thousands of sheep) at a time. The gangs would sleep for the duration of the stay in the very basic shearer’s quarters that the farmers provided. So when our gang worked one week for a farm which happened to be close by the gang’s home town, we all went home at night after work, and car-pooled in the early hours to get to the farm in the morning. I had arranged to be picked up at 4 am at the bottom of my friend’s long drive, which was my home-base in NZ. That first morning, I waited, shivering in the dark, for the crammed car full of grumpy, half-awake shearers to pick me up, a little nervous, since they teased and mimicked me no end for being English and to ‘refined’ for a such job working with shearers. As I waited, I was also nervous that perhaps they wouldn’t pick me up at all, or that I had missed my ride altogether. But at last the hazy beams of a car’s headlights could be seen outlining the black hills in the distance, coming nearer and nearer, and finally the car appeared ahead of me, and slowed down when I stepped into the road to flag them so they didn’t miss me in the dark. Squinting from the headlights, I quickly opened the door, and squeezed in the back seat with four big guys. We set off in silence, squished like sardines in a can. After about 10 minutes, the one squished next to me looked at me said, “Who are you?” It was the wrong gang.

Do your characters really talk to you?

Yes, they do! I even know what they’re thinking!

Are you for or against books being made into movies?

I am for it. There are so many struggling readers who never finish a good book because reading does not come easily to them, so even if the movie that has been made from a book might stray from the book a little, everyone, good readers and strugglers alike, can get to know a good story.

 What is your view on self-publishing?

I am so glad I have had the opportunity to share my adventures with young readers now, rather than having to wait for that positive reply from a traditional publishing house, which might take years! They are so inundated with submissions; it must be an almost impossible task sifting through the query letters. I just wish the self-marketing was as easy as the self-publishing! Getting people to know about the books has been difficult for me, and I’m not really an extrovert who enjoys bragging, or talking about myself, so it has been an interesting task, getting the word about my books out there! I don’t like the idea of mass clicks that one can purchase on Twitter and Facebook. I’d rather those who have liked my book’s pages to be genuine, who perhaps like ancient history, adventure and archaeology, or just a genuine story with real, believable characters. I have some amazingly interesting followers, from teachers, archaeologists, travelers, to historians there, plus the children and parents themselves, which is really a lovely thing!

What made you write in this genre?

I love history, archaeology and a good, insightful story. There is a vast gap in the market for readers of 11 years and up wanting something other than fantasy or sci-fi, who want an adventure with characters that were realistic and genuine. Also, there is absolutely nothing out there based around archaeological digs, which is lucky forme, as that is what I love to write about! I love the fact that I can plant a seed, or spark the interest in something the reader might not have been interested in before they picked up the book. The feedback from these tweens and young teens has been amazing, and I’m quite humbled sometimes at what they have said to me.

What drives you insane about the writing process?

In honesty, the spelling. My spelling. I find it so annoying that I still have to run around to restructure a sentence in order to avoid a word when spellcheck has no idea what the word is I’m trying to write. Doesn’t happen often, but it does happen!

About The Author:

Caroline was born and raised in central London, and from a very early age, she developed a hunger for adventure and hot, desolate places. She loves to learn about different customs, peoples, and to go off the beaten track wherever she can. She has been lucky enough to have traveled extensively throughout the world, spending considerable time in many countries of diverse and interesting cultures, soaking in the history. Caroline has also lived in Sweden and spent a year in New Zealand and Australia, taking six months to get there and back. However, her dream is to spend a few months following the ancient trade routes, from China across to the Mediterranean Sea. Caroline especially loves the Middle East, and as well as exploring Tunisia, Egypt, and Iran, where her parents lived for a couple of years when she was in her late teens and early twenties, she spent ten days in the Jordanian desert, following the footsteps of T.E. Lawrence. Her passion is archaeology, and wherever she goes in the world, as well as visiting ancient sites, Caroline absorbs herself in the local customs and history, avoiding the hordes of tourists where ever she can. The Obsidian Mask is Caroline's first book. The sequels, Secrets of The River, and The Irish Queen of Algiers, also reflect her love for travel and history, as well as giving her readers a fun and exciting adventure to enjoy. It has given her much pleasure writing these books, and she hopes you enjoy reading them as much as she has enjoyed writing them! Caroline has also written some short stories for pre-teen readers, and a collection of short stories for women in a series called, Coming of Age. When she is not writing she is either playing tennis or volunteering her time running a store/art gallery that dedicates itself to local artists? She is married and has two children, and she spends a lot of time on airplanes hopping back and forth from England to America, which is where she currently calls home.

Facebook | Website |Twitter | Amazon |Goodreads

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GUEST POST: This or That with author Ellen Hopkins!

 

This or That: Getting to know you….

Favorite Authors

Stephen King, Ken Kesey, John Irving, Edgar Allan Poe, Hunter S. Thompson

Favorite Books

Sometimes A Great Notion, Hotel New Hampshire, Catcher in the Rye, Fahrenheit 451, Little Big Man

Favorite Literary Characters

Mac McMurphy,

Things That Inspire You

The little oasis I’ve created, the view from my front windows, people who conquer obstacles, early morning runs, being alone in the wilderness.

Books That Made You Want To Become A Writer

Sometimes a Great Notion, Of Mice and Men, The Lord of the Rings, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird


Bookish Pet Peeves

Plot in favor of character, jumping straight into an action scene on page one, motiveless characters, overabundant dialect, unsatisfying endings

Pieces of Advice you have for aspiring writers.

Don’t write to trends. Character in favor of plot. Don’t write for fame, money, reviews or awards. Write courageously. Write the stories that keep you awake at night thinking about them.

Favorite Movies/TV Shows

Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Mad Men, Modern Family, Vikings

Things you wish you knew before you published

The value of early platform building; that publishing one book is rarely life-changing; how hard it is maintaining balance between career and family; the stress involved with touring/promotion; never to leave promotion completely up to your publisher.

Places you would consider paradise

The Gold Coast of Australia, Costa Rica, The Virgin Islands, Greece, Italian Wine Country

Foods you wish you could and never gain a pound

French fries, Haagen Dazs (almost any flavor), thick crust pizza, Kettle Chips, lobster mac and cheese

Things that bring a smile to your face

My kids’ accomplishments; my goofball German shepherd pup, Wyn; the smell of sagebrush after it rains; quarter-sized snowflakes; my garden in full bloom.

Words you try not to use.

Dude, fabulous, totally, dimwad, f**k (though you wouldn’t know it to read some of my Facebook posts)

Words you love.

Copacetic, capricious, delectable, pogonip, emanate

Places you'd like to take your laptop to and write.

Big Sur, Cape Cod, Yosemite, Lizard Island (Au), Sequoia National Park

Favorite desserts

Crème brûlée, chocolate mousse, gelato, éclairs, cherry pie

Cities you want to visit or your favorite cities?

Sydney, Paris, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Prague

Words that describe yourself

Outspoken, engaged, funny, compassionate, strong

Games you like to play

Monopoly, Sudoku, Scrabble, Solitaire, Yahtzee

Things you have in your purse/bag/wallet now

iPhone, sunglasses, keys, $20, heart-shaped piece of agate

Pet peeves

Rude drivers, Fox News, people on their phones in inappropriate places, airplane seatmates who invade my limited space, the newly-coined term “religious liberty”

BLOG TOUR: LOVE LIES BENEATH by Ellen Hopkins

About The Book:

By: Ellen Hopkins Publisher: Atria Books Publication date: July 21, 2015 Pages: 320

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Collateral comes a gripping novel about a woman caught in a love affair that could be her salvation...or her undoing. Tara is gorgeous, affluent, and forty. She lives in an impeccably restored Russian Hill mansion in San Francisco. Once a widow, twice divorced, she’s a woman with a past she prefers keeping to herself. Enter Cavin Lattimore. He’s handsome, kind, charming, and the surgeon assigned to Tara following a ski accident in Lake Tahoe. In the weeks it takes her to recover, Cavin sweeps her off her feet and their relationship blossoms into something Tara had never imagined possible. But then she begins to notice some strange things: a van parked outside her home at odd times, a break-in, threatening text messages and emails. She also starts to notice cracks in Cavin’s seemingly perfect personality, like the suppressed rage his conniving teenage son brings out in him, and the discovery that Cavin hired a detective to investigate her immediately after they met. Now on crutches and housebound, Tara finds herself dependent on the new man in her life—perhaps too much so. She’s handling rocky relationships with her sister and best friend, who are envious of her glamour and freedom; her prickly brother-in-law, who is intimidated by her wealth and power; and her estranged mother. However perfect Tara’s life appears, things are beginning to get messy. Writing in beautiful prose, Ellen Hopkins unveils a new style while evoking her signature poetic form that readers fell in love with in Collateral and Triangles.

Goodreads | IndieBound | B&N | Amazon | Powell's

Follow The Tour:

July 20^th – Fangirlish – Review, Author Interview

July 20^th - J & J Book Bangers – Review

July 21^st - Bookhounds – Review, Top Ten

July 21^st - Reads All The Books – Review

July 21^st - Fiction Dreams – Guest Post

July 22^nd - Between The Pages Book Blog – Review, Interview, Top Ten

July 23^rd - Actin' Up With Books – Review

July 23^rd - All For Love of the Word – Review

July 24^th - Books & Bling – Review

July 24^th - Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl – Review, Author Interview

July 27^th - Backseats and Airports – Review

July 28^th - Books and Ladders – Review

July 29^th - Journeys & Life – Guest Post

July 29^th - Book Chic – Review, Author Interview

July 29^th - Room With Books – Spotlight/ Excerpt

July 30^th – Bibliophilia, Please – Guest Post

July 31^st - Alec John Belle – Review

July 31^st - Bookish - Debbie – Review  

July 31^st - Pixie Vixen Book Reviews – Review

July 31^st - Heather Ann Book Reviews  - Review 

  

About The Author:

“After eight highly successful young adult novels-in-verse, I decided to explore more mature subject matter and wrote my first two novels for adults utilizing my signature verse-style formatting. I changed directions with my third, Love Lies Beneath, choosing to write in prose to better connect with an older audience, some of whom might be resistant to the fiction/verse merger. I will continue to write YA, of course. (My twelfth YA novel publishes Fall 2015.) Teen characters are hugely appealing to me. But some topics I want to write about demand adults as main characters. My first adult novel, Triangles, explores midlife directional changes, and my second, Collateral, follows a Marine couple through four deployments, with the inevitable consequences. Please visit the BOOKS page here to learn more. Love Lies Beneath is sexy, chilling noir fiction about a woman who has it all—wealth, beauty, possessions; everything, except love, which she finally discovers at forty, after three failed marriages. While everything is perfect at first, things change when the doctor’s teenage son moves in. It’s then the lies begin to appear. But who, in fact, is the liar? Expect the sequel to Love Lies Beneath in 2016 and more books for mature audiences in the future.”

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REVIEW: Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome by Tamara Lyon

Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome had me sold just from the title!! Any lady who has had a brazilian, is going to instantly look at this book and be curious. Me included. However, this book is about SO much more.

Tamara Lyon introduces us to Bristow Sparks, interior designer on the rise, who happens to work for Cherry Wyeland. Cherry is hilarious in and of herself and there were moments I had Devil Wears Prada flashes with her. She is brilliantly created and complements Bristow’s personality well.

Bristow is by no means a wallflower, but she is somewhat oblivious to the men around her as she has suffered loss, betrayal, and scorn in her past. Until she meets Jack. He seems to be the turning point in her holding back her feelings.

The story is laugh out loud hilarious, Bristow’s great-grandmother will have you on your toes, and the whole story rounds out to one perfect summer read!!!

BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY: Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome by Tamara Lyon

About The Book:

Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome By: Tamara Lyon Pages: 348 Published: May 29, 2015

Bristow Sparks, an interior designer in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, has just landed the contract of a lifetime, working for the Cherry Wyeland, volatile reality star and CEO of Wine-A-Lot. Designing for a crazy person is an around-the-clock commitment. It frays Bristow’s nerves and forces her to compromise in unimaginable ways, but, given that the finished product will be featured on The Decorating Network, she must succeed.

While her professional life is hot, her personal life is barely room temperature. After surviving the relentless media spotlight because of a personal tragedy and a traitorous ex-boyfriend, Bristow flies so far under the radar she can’t even be detected. A homebody to the core, she binges on episodes of the Showtime series, Dexter, lives in sweatpants, and is addicted to exercise and Oreos.

As for relationships? She has fallen hard and fast for witty and adventurous Jack Hoffmann. However, after their disastrous first date where Bristow collides with a park bench among other mortifying mishaps, they are unfortunately just friends. At least there’s one male sharing her bed, even if it’s only Vegas, her theatrical golden retriever.

For her twenty-ninth birthday, Bristow goes out of her comfort zone and gets a makeover at an elite spa. Post-Brazilian wax and in excruciating pain, Bristow realizes that she’s been in a post-traumatic state for years. She vows to start taking risks again. When she finally goes after what and whom she wants, no matter the cost, tragedy strikes again . . . 

Purchase The Book:

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Follow The Tour:

June 15^th – Heather Ann's Book Reviews – Review

June 16^th – J & J Book Bangers – Review  

June 17^th – Bookish Lifestyle – Review 

June 18^th – A Diary of A Book Addict – Review 

June 18^th – Room With Books – Review 

June 19^th – Laura's Interests – Review/Top Ten

June 19^th – All For The Love of the Word – Character Interview/Top Ten

June 19^th – Books & Bling – Author Interview

June 19^th – The Reader and The Chef – Review 

June 19^th – Pixie Vixen Book Reviews – Review 

June 19^th – Kaidans Seduction – Review/Guest Post

June 19^th – Nicole Alamillo – Review

About The Author:

Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome is loosely inspired by an unfortunate, painful event that occurred three years ago and is critically acclaimed author Tamara Lyon’s sixth novel. Her previous works include The Ugly Tree series, a Flamingnet Top Choice Award winner, 2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist, Eric Hoffer Finalist, and Midwest Book Award Finalist. In 2010 her novel, Fixing Forever Broken, earned an IPPY Award for romance. Lyon has taken her recent books in a decidedly chick-lit direction and creates characters and stories that are refreshingly and humorously real. She makes her home in Wisconsin with her talented husband, cycling-superstar son, and counter-surfing golden retriever, Macy.

Social Media Links:

WEBSITE |AMAZON | TWITTER | FACEBOOK| LINKEDIN GOODREADS

Giveaway:

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